LA Councilmember Hernandez Taps LAPD for Security After Voting Against Police Funding

Hernandez, who has built a political brand attacking police funding, used taxpayer money to pay for LAPD officers to provide security at a City Hall event she organized.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 3:09am

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Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez has been a vocal critic of police funding, repeatedly voting against the city's $2.4 billion police budget. However, when it came time to secure her own public event at City Hall, Hernandez turned to the LAPD to provide a security detail of 13 armed officers, logging over 100 hours of overtime at a cost of $134,498.65 to taxpayers. This arrangement came just months after Hernandez voted against the specific City Council contract authorizing LAPD's special-event security services, the very funding stream that paid for the officers at her event.

Why it matters

Hernandez's use of LAPD security for her own event despite her anti-police rhetoric and voting record has been criticized as hypocritical. It raises questions about whether elected officials who campaign on defunding the police are willing to forgo police protection for themselves, even as they deny it to their constituents. The incident also highlights the ongoing tensions in Los Angeles over policing, immigration enforcement, and the role of law enforcement in the city.

The details

Documents obtained by the Post show that Hernandez's office arranged for 13 LAPD officers to provide security for a Mexican Independence Day celebration she hosted at City Hall in September 2025. The event, called 'El Grito 2025,' was expected to attract around 500 attendees and featured politically charged speeches amid heightened tensions in LA over immigration enforcement. The security operation cost taxpayers $134,498.65 in police overtime.

  • On May 20, 2025, the Los Angeles City Council approved a contract authorizing LAPD's special-event security services.
  • Just four months later, in September 2025, Hernandez used this same program to provide police protection for the City Hall celebration she organized.

The players

Eunisses Hernandez

A Los Angeles City Councilmember who has built her political brand on opposing police funding and voting against the LAPD's budget, but then used taxpayer money to pay for LAPD officers to provide security at a City Hall event she organized.

Maria 'Lou' Calanche

A former Los Angeles Police Commissioner and the founder of the nonprofit Legacy LA, who is running against Hernandez in her northeast Los Angeles district. Calanche criticized Hernandez's decision to request police protection as hypocritical.

Los Angeles Police Protective League

The union representing over 8,700 sworn LAPD officers, which condemned Hernandez's use of armed police protection after voting to defund and disband the police.

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What they’re saying

“It should come as no surprise that some politicians act like hypocrites, but Eunisses Hernandez takes the cake. Hernandez has repeatedly voted to defund and disband the police, yet she saw nothing wrong with requesting police security at a community event to keep herself and others safe. Apparently, she has no problem spending taxpayer dollars for her safety but opposes doing the same for the residents she represents. It is time for change in Council District .”

— Los Angeles Police Protective League, Board of Directors

“Eunisses Hernandez is a hypocrite: Using LAPD for private security while voting against hiring more police officers is a crime and hypocrisy at its worst. Denying our communities the public safety they deserve should never be the priority of an elected official. Eunisses Hernandez's hypocrisy—at the expense of taxpayer dollars—needs to stop.”

— Maria 'Lou' Calanche, Former Los Angeles Police Commissioner and Founder of Legacy LA

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.